Broch

Folklore

Very close to the stones at Borve is a broch, which was once inhabited by the fairies. For some reason the local villagers didn't get on with their otherworldly neighbours and were determined to get rid of them. One day they hatched a plan, and early the next morning surrounded the fairies' fort. They raised a huge racket, shouting that the fort was on fire. The fairies rushed out at once. On realising they'd been duped, they felt so disgusted that they promptly left the district.

However, perhaps the fairies ultimately got their own back, because the village of Borve has never flourished.

The story was collected by Grinsell, for his 'Folklore of prehistoric sites in Britain' (1976) - I haven't noted his source.

He also mentions the name of the site, which like the 'River Avon' is a double naming: Dun and Borve both mean fort, in Gaelic and Norse respectively.